The Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, Etihad Museum, and Al Shindagha Museum have all received Autism-Friendly Certificates (AFC) from the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).
Autism-Friendly Certificates
The accreditation certificates were presented at Dubai Autism Center’s headquarters during an official visit by the Dubai Culture delegation, headed by Hala Badri, the Authority’s Director General, and in the presence of Muna Faisal Algurg, CEO of the Cultural & Heritage Sector at Dubai Culture; Mansoor Lootah, CEO of the Operations Support Sector at Dubai Culture; Abdulla Alfalasi, Director of Etihad Museum; and Adel Omar, Senior Special Project and Media Director at Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children.
Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, affirmed the importance of supporting people of determination, developing their life and social skills, and refining their creative talents, saying: “At Dubai Culture, we seek to make a fundamental change in the lives of people of determination by adopting a set of innovative solutions that contribute to activating their presence and participation in the cultural and artistic events organised by the authority.
Based on our social responsibility towards them, and our awareness of the importance of their energies, skills, and creativity that must be developed and directed in the right direction, taken care of and invested in the best way, which will reflect positively on enriching the local cultural scene,”
Badri confirmed that Dubai Culture’s receipt of the AFC reflects the Authority’s efforts in the field of empowering and integrating people of determination into society, as well as ensuring their access to all of the Authority’s assets and facilities.
This is so they can enjoy the variety of cultural experiences available to all members of society, in accordance with the Dubai government’s strategies aimed at meeting the needs of determined people in all fields.
On this occasion, Al Emadi expressed his gratitude to Dubai Culture for their tireless efforts to improve the benefit of people of determination, including individuals with autism, from the services they seek in their facilities in order to obtain an enriching experience and meet their needs as fully as others, in line with our wise government’s vision of transforming the Emirate of Dubai into a friendly city for people of determination.
Al Emadi also confirmed that the DAC has sought to raise community awareness of autism through innovative educational means since its inception, pointing out that the Autism-Friendly Program was launched in September.
This year as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the region aimed at certifying role models in the public and private sectors and encouraging the community to embrace higher accessibility standards for individuals with autistic spectrum disorder.
Eman Abushabab, Community Outreach Manager at the Dubai Autism Center, revealed that a number of training workshops and field trips were organized for Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, Etihad Museum, and Al Shindagha Museum to provide their employees with the necessary information on how to interact and engage with individuals with autism.
“These entities were awarded the Autism-Friendly Certificate (AFC) under the category of Cultural Facilities based on a review and scrutiny of the criteria for achieving a safe and friendly environment for people with autism at various levels, individuals, facilities, and services.”
According to Abushabab, entities that receive AFC certification are evaluated once a year, in addition to using a’mystery shopper’ approach, which is typically represented by people with autism and their families.
Dubai Autism Center, established by a decree of the ruler of Dubai in 2001, aims to provide specialized services for children with autism as well as support for their families and caregivers.
According to Decree No. 26 of 2021, the Dubai Autism Center aims to help the Emirate of Dubai become a world leader in the provision of approved special education programs and specialized rehabilitative treatment services for people with autism spectrum disorder.
Subsidies, donations, and charitable endowments for the center’s benefit comprise the center’s financial resources.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that manifests itself in early childhood and continues throughout a person’s life.
ASD can lead to significant social, communication, and behavioral difficulties. ASD affects one in every 44 children, according to recent research.
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